Grassley can help create firewall against Medicare, Medicaid cuts

The future of Medicare and Medicaid may depend on Sen. Charles Grassley. He is one of a handful of Senate Republicans who could serve as a firewall against harmful changes to these crucial programs that Iowa seniors rely upon. The GOP’S American Health Care Act would have cut $880 billion from Medicaid. With so many Iowa seniors depending on Medicaid for long-term care, it is perplexing that Sen. Grassley supported the AHCA. We hope the senator will reconsider his position the next time Republicans attempt to gut Medicaid.

Looking down the road, the majority in Congress has also proposed to privatize Medicare and raise the eligibility age from 65 to 67. These actions will reduce health care coverage and increase out of pocket costs for Iowa’s 572,000 seniors and people with disabilities.

Sen. Grassley could protect those seniors, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet. Half of all Medicare beneficiaries in 2014 had incomes below $24,150 and Medicare households spent over two times more than the average American household on out-of-pocket health care costs. Iowa seniors cannot afford higher out of pocket costs, and do not deserve cutbacks in their health care. Unfortunately, that’s exactly the threat that seniors face.

The American Health Care Act would have weakened Medicare. But the moribund GOP healthcare bill is not the only threat. Paul Ryan has long wanted to “reform” or “modernize” Medicare — which really means “privatize.” He and other budget hawks have been using the canard that Medicare is going “bankrupt” and must be privatized. In fact, the Part A Trust Fund will remain solvent until 2028 and could easily be fortified by modest and manageable revenue and cost-saving measures — without cutting benefits. Sen. Grassley should oppose attempts to privatize Medicare, which would send seniors into the private insurance marketplace with vouchers that won’t keep pace with rising premiums. While healthier seniors might opt for private insurance, older and sicker beneficiaries would remain in traditional Medicare — resulting in a death spiral for the program.

Raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67, as House Speaker Paul Ryan proposes, would amount to a large benefit cut. Seniors between 65 to 67 would have to purchase insurance at higher premiums — or forgo coverage altogether if they can’t afford it. According to a new study from the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Foundation, raising Medicare’s eligibility age to 67 would result in nearly 2 million additional uninsured seniors nationwide.

It is time to slam the brakes on legislation to privatize Medicare, raise the eligibility age, and shrink Medicaid. Beneficiaries need only three Senate Republicans to vote against these harmful changes; 572,000 of Iowa’s seniors and disabled are counting on Sen. Grassley to have the wisdom to do just that.

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